it was, in fact, undertaking under the leadership of the late president yasser arafat, an historic, difficult and courageous decision that defines the requirements that turned the page on more aggression and occupation. yes, we have the courage an responsibility to make a right decision, to protect the interests of our people and to serve our -- to international -- and a decision which in the same year was supported and -- by this high body that is meeting today. ladies and gentlemen, we have heard and you too have heard specifically over the past month, the insessent flood of israeli threats in response to peaceful, diplomatic -- for palestine -- non-member observers to the united nations and you have surely witnessed some of these threats have been carried out in a bar rafaeliic and horrific -- barbaric and horrific manner. we have not heard one word from any israeli official expressing any sincere concern to save the peace process. on the contrary, people have witnessed and continue to witness an unprecedented -- of military assault, the block aid, activities, ethnic cleansing. particularl